


A Proven Process

by patster223



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ghost Hunters, Communication, Established Relationship, M/M, Paranormal Investigators
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:34:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23745412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patster223/pseuds/patster223
Summary: Naturally, Newt chose to introduce himself to the hotel receptionist with an impatient, “Hi, Newt Geiszler, pleasure--we’re the ghost hunters.”“We are paranormal investigators, ” Hermann hissed to Newt. Looking at the receptionist, he said again, louder, “We’re paranormal investigators.”
Relationships: Newton Geiszler/Hermann Gottlieb
Comments: 12
Kudos: 52





	A Proven Process

Naturally, Newt chose to introduce himself to the hotel receptionist with an impatient, “Hi, Newt Geiszler, pleasure--we’re the ghost hunters.”

Which was _not_ true. They were _not_ ghost hunters. 

“We are _paranormal investigators,_ ” Hermann hissed to Newt. Looking at the receptionist, he said again, louder, “We’re paranormal investigators.”

Each word of Hermann’s sentence was clipped, precise, and--despite his best efforts--obviously ridiculous to the receptionist. 

“Yeah, my dad told me you were coming,” the receptionist drawled. He was young, blond, and his nametag read _Chuck._

Hermann really didn’t think that he should be on the receiving end of so much judgment from someone named Chuck _._

“Dad!” Chuck called. “The ghost hunters are here.”

“We’re really not-” Hermann protested, but before he could say anything, an older man emerged from the office behind the desk. 

“You don’t got to yell, Chuck, I’m ten feet away from you,” the man grumbled. He stuck a hand out for Hermann and then Newt to shake. “Herc Hansen. You here to get rid of the ghost?”

Before Hermann could give his--unfortunately routine--explanation that they had a _process_ at Paranormal Phenomena Dispersal Consultants, and in order to get _rid_ of a paranormal entity it first had to be _investigated_ , and Hermann was _assuredly_ here for the investigation part of the dispersal, _not_ the exorcism or seance or whatever it was that Mako and Raleigh would do in the unlikely chance they actually found something of note here-

Before he could say any of that, Newt gave a forced, chipper, “Yep!”

If the Hansens didn’t look impressed with Hermann and Newt arguing the entire walk to the supposedly haunted hotel room, well. There was a _process_ in place at Paranormal Phenomena Dispersal Consultants. And, for better or worse, Newt and Hermann’s debates were a part of that process. 

///

Hermann hadn’t entered university intending to become a paranormal investigator. But, as fate would have it, theoretical physics occasionally had a way of seducing its more _romantic_ disciples into the realm of the _extremely_ theoretical. 

Hermann had no idea what Newt’s excuse was. Biology was all well and good when it came to the cryptids and creatures they were tasked with tracking down, but it hardly applied to _ghosts._

Not that Hermann brought up that contradiction much--not since Hong Kong, anyway. Expertise or no, he much preferred to have Newt by his side during these missions. 

Newt knew this, of course, and called him a sap for it. Hermann couldn’t disagree. He may not have considered himself a romantic before joining the PPDC, but investigating ghosts with your fiance had a habit of dispelling such notions. 

Right now, said fiance was setting up the spirit box, one of Hermann’s most hated pieces of equipment. 

"Must we?” Hermann sighed. “We never get good evidence out of that thing.”

“Psh, how would you know? You just can’t get good evidence from it because you refuse to try it. It's like you have no scientific curiosity, Herms.”

“I have plenty of scientific curiosity; I just refuse to try to get evidence from a machine that doesn’t _work_.”

Newt flipped the switch on the spirit box, and Hermann winced as it shrieked to life. The box flipped through radio channels at a breakneck pace, creating white noise through which ghosts could communicate.

Supposedly. 

“ _Egh-ah-fl-unh-ag,”_ said the spirit box.

“Remarkable,” Hermann said dryly. “Truly outdoing yourself today, Dr. Geiszler.”

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Hermann knew that they were a bit _too_ mean-spirited, but. It’d been a long day--a long _month_ \--and this was their first ghost investigation since Hong Kong, and Newt was _far_ too spirited ( _“Hah!”_ said the Newt in his head at the unintended pun) for the time of night, and Hermann just. 

Didn’t _like_ this. He didn’t get bad vibes from houses--didn’t believe in such nonsense--but there was something in the air that just wasn’t _right_ here. 

“Shut up, we haven’t even asked it any questions yet,” Newt said, glaring at Hermann. To the spirit box, he said, “Hello, is Isabelle here? We hear that you died in this room a long time ago. I’m, uh, sorry about that. Hopefully you knew that already and I’m not the one breaking the news? Uh, anyway. I’m Newt...”

Newt gave Hermann a pointed glance.

“I’m Hermann,” Hermann finally sighed. 

“Could you say our names back to us?”

“ _Ah-hn-pl-er-t-ng,_ ” said the spirit box.

Hermann gritted his teeth. The spirit box’s whine scattered his thoughts, making it difficult to think as it rang in his ears, as it echoed in this ugly, dusty, abandoned, _not haunted_ hotel room.

“Can you tell us why you’re here?” Newt persisted. 

“ _Uhg-pl-na-tc.”_

“Finally, proof of the paranormal,” Hermann said, rolling his eyes. He gripped his cane tighter. “You know that this place isn’t actually haunted, right? Research of the hotel shows that there may have not even _been_ an Isabelle Montague who resided here, let alone died-”

“Will you shut up?” Newt says, his voice pitching nearly as high as the spirit box. His face reddened as soon as he realized it, but the embarrassment only seemed to increase his volume. “What, did a ghoul spit in your tea this morning? You’ve been on my dick for this whole investigation-”

“Oh, so _now_ it’s an investigation?”

“See, that too! Your whole ‘paranormal investigation’ bullshit. Please, like anyone is going to take us seriously with that line.”

“Oh, and you think people take us seriously when you call yourself a _ghost hunter_?” Hermann scoffed. 

“The only one who isn’t taking me seriously right now is you!”

“Don’t be _ridiculous_ -” 

“ _St-ah-op_ ,” screeched the spirit box.

“Oh, just like the spirit box telling us to stop yelling is _ridiculous_?” Newt said smugly, rolling his r’s in an imitation of Hermann. 

Hermann ignored the uneasiness curdling in his stomach. This place wasn’t _haunted_ . The only “bad vibes” that Hermann was getting was from _them._ The call was coming from inside the house, the dread was coming from inside of Newt and Hermann, from--from _fucking Hong Kong-_

“It’s not telling us to _stop_ ,” Hermann hissed. “Because it can’t say _anything_.”

“This is exactly what I’m talking about! All you’ve done since we’ve gotten here is correct me and shit on my equipment-”

“And how is that any different than normal?”

“Because this is the first mission we’ve been cleared to go on in weeks!” Newt cried. “And you’re acting like you don’t even believe in me!”

“I don’t believe in half of your theories-”

“You know what I mean!”

The wall next to them thumped in a way that was more indicative of an irritated neighbor than a ghost. Hermann and Newt turned to the wall in unison and yelled, “Shut up!”

The thumping quieted, and all that was left was the jerky static emitted by the spirit box. Its static was small and garbled in the silence left by their argument, its noises and squeals sounding belligerent and whiny by turns. Hermann and Newt glanced at the box, looked back at each other, and--

Erupted in giggles. They couldn’t help it. It was 2am, they were listening to a broken radio in a possibly haunted hotel room, and the neighbors were mad at them for a _lover’s tiff._ It was so typical that Pentecost wouldn’t bat an eye when he received the inevitable complaint. 

“God, the spirit box is annoying,” Newt cackled. 

“Oh, so--so _now_ it’s a-annoying,” Hermann said in-between bouts of laughter. 

“Of course it is! It gives me headaches every time,” Newt said. “But I maintain its scientific value, even if you...whatever.” He looked away.

Hermann shook his head. “I’m sorry, Newton,” he said softly. “Yes, I may disagree with you on the merits of the spirit box, but. But I still believe in you. I always do. If I’ve been acting…”

“Like an asshole.”

“ _Skeptical,_ then it wasn’t because I doubted you. I was--God, Newt, I was _worried._ Hong Kong was-”

A fucking shit show. Something that Hermann didn’t dwell on except in the most minuscule detail because anything more set his heart racing, made it hard just to _breathe_ -

A spirit named Otachi. Newt had nearly been possessed. He hadn’t been. Hermann had barely been able to help. They’d been benched for weeks while everyone at the PPDC waited for Newt to-to-

It hadn’t happened. Nothing had happened. They were here now. That was what mattered. 

Or, Hermann had thought that that was what mattered. 

“I’m sorry,” Hermann murmured. He stood up and switched the spirit box off before gently taking Newt’s hand in his own. Hermann could feel their rings catch against each other, and with the other hand irately rubbed at his stinging eyes. 

“We--” Hermann said. “We’ve both been a bit on edge ever since Hong Kong-”

“Oh, we _have_?” 

Hermann couldn’t help it--he laughed again. Thankfully, the smile spreading across Newt’s face showed that that had been the intent.

“I thought we were fine,” Hermann admitted. “Sure, stressed-”

“Mildly traumatized but it's chill-”

“Shaken but ultimately recovering,” Hermann agreed. “I mean, it wasn’t anything we hadn’t seen before. We’ve been doing this for years; incidents happen…”

“But we weren’t engaged before,” Newt murmured. He leaned his head on Hermann’s shoulder, resting his weight there with a sigh. 

Hermann wasn’t quite tall enough to hook his chin on Newt’s head--to completely surround him, make him feel safe--but he could rest his face against Newt’s hair. Rub his cheek against the stiff strands, smell the minty gel that Newt used. 

“I suppose it rather does put things in perspective,” Hermann admitted. “I don’t _want_ us to be ghost hunters, Newton. I want to discover new phenomena with you. I want us to leave the dangerous parts to Mako and Raleigh and the others. I want you to be _safe_ . I want us to be married _._ ”

“We will be,” Newt said, pressing a kiss to Hermann’s shoulder. “Unless you keep pissing me off.”

Hermann chuckled. “Better call off the wedding now then.”

“Shame to lose the venue deposit only two months after the engagement.” 

“Pretty sure Raleigh would win a bet of some sort if we did that…”

“Ugh. Like I’m going to give that loser the satisfaction,” Newt groaned.

“Guess the wedding is still on then,” Hermann said. He grinned into Newt’s hair despite himself.

“Yeah, yeah,” Newt said pulling away. He shook his head, though he was unable--or unwilling--to hide his smile. “You’re such a sap.”

“I never denied that.”

“‘Oh, Newton, we must be investigators, not hunters; hunting is far too _dangerous-_ ”

“Shush.”

“Semantics as sentiment,” Newt said fondly, rolling his eyes. “What would the Hermann of five years ago say?”

“I couldn’t care in the slightest,” Hermann said. He nodded toward the spirit box and the rest of their equipment. “Are there any more readings you’d like to take?”

Newt snorted. “God, no. I wasn’t going to admit it, but there’s no way this place is haunted. That history was totally fabricated. But I’m a _professional,_ so I had to take all reasonable tests, skeptic or no-”

“A scientific rigor that I respect,” Hermann said honestly. “ _Even_ if the spirit box is still a load of rubbish. Though,” he sighed, “scientific rigor or no, I don’t imagine we’ll be seen as very professional once Pentecost gets the noise complaints raised against us on this one.”

Though, they both knew that that wasn’t entirely true. There was a well-established process at Paranormal Phenomena Dispersal Consultants. And, for better or worse--but, always better, really--Newt and Hermann’s debates were a part of that process. 


End file.
